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NYT Strands Answer & Hints — “Br-r-r-r-r!”, December 23, 2025

Stuck on the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle? Here are progressive hints and the full answer for the “Br-r-r-r-r!” puzzle (Strands #353 of 509 in our archive). Every reveal is hidden by default — click to open the ones you need.

Spoiler warning. The answers below are for the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Scroll past this section if you want to solve it yourself first.
Hint 1: The themeReveal

The theme for the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle is “Br-r-r-r-r!”. Every theme word and the spangram connects back to this phrase, so think about what related words might fit a 6×8 grid of 48 letters before you start scanning.

Hint 2: Spangram length and first letterReveal

The spangram for the “Br-r-r-r-r!” puzzle is 8 letters long and starts with the letter N. It touches two opposite edges of the grid, as every NYT Strands spangram does.

Hint 3: How many theme wordsReveal

Besides the spangram, the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle has 7 theme words. Together with the spangram, they use every letter on the 6×8 grid exactly once.

Answer: Full spangramReveal

The spangram for the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands “Br-r-r-r-r!” puzzle is NOTSOHOT. It spans two opposite edges of the 6×8 grid and captures the theme directly.

Answer: All theme wordsReveal

Here are the 7 theme words for the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands “Br-r-r-r-r!” puzzle:

  • CHILLY
  • COLD
  • COOL
  • FREEZING
  • FRIGID
  • GLACIAL
  • POLAR

Plus the spangram NOTSOHOT, that’s every word on the grid — all 48 letters accounted for.

Answers for the December 23, 2025 NYT Strands puzzle. Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive — today's NYT Strands is free on nytimes.com/games/strands.

About the "Br-r-r-r-r!" NYT Strands puzzle

With a theme like "Br-r-r-r-r!", this Strands puzzle doesn't hold back. The exclamation sets the tone: expect words that relate to something dramatic, surprising, or immediately recognizable. The general theme words hidden in this grid all support the same exclamatory idea, and discovering the spangram will make the connection unmistakable.

At 7 theme words, this is one of the denser puzzles in the archive. The grid is packed, so words will be closer together. With 8 letters, the spangram is mid-length — long enough to stand out in the grid but still requiring careful scanning to trace from edge to edge. Originally published on a Tuesday, Puzzle #353 is a more recent addition to the 509+ puzzle archive.

#353
Puzzle Number
7
Theme Words
8
Spangram Letters
Medium
Difficulty

How to approach "Br-r-r-r-r!"

  • The energetic theme title suggests vivid, expressive vocabulary. Look for words that match the theme's bold tone and emotional charge.
  • There are 7 theme words packed into this grid. Try to find 2-3 shorter words first to free up space and make the remaining words easier to trace.
  • Pay attention to uncommon letters (Q, X, Z) or unusual combinations (double letters). These distinctive patterns anchor where specific words must be located on the grid.
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Strands Unlimited is an independent fan archive of past Strands puzzles. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times Company. NYT Strands is a trademark of The New York Times Company. Today's daily puzzle is free at nytimes.com/games/strands.